When we visit our family doctor, it’s often to make sure that we are okay physically. Either we are getting an annual physical done or we are there to heal from an illness. Much of our mental health is related to our physical health and yet we tend to ignore that part of ourselves. When we are not feeling well mentally, it will manifest itself physically. Here are a few things to consider when it comes to taking care of you entirely.

Sleep Isn’t About Beauty

“Beauty sleep” is a phrase often used and often associated with our appearance. The reality is, our bodies need to rest so that they can function at their best. If we aren’t sleeping well, we tend to not feel very well the next day. To get the best sleep possible, the first thing to look at is your mattress. If it’s too hard, lumpy, or even too soft, it’s time to replace it. Sites like thebeddingmart.com make it easy to find the mattress you need and have it delivered to you, without ever stepping out of your home. If your mattress is perfectly fine, you may need to look at how you are going to sleep. 

Blackout curtains are helpful in keeping light out and lulling your body into sleep. Earplugs are fantastic if you live in a noisy area or share the bed with a noisy partner. It is also important to not have a television in your room, or a laptop, or even your cell phone. They are distracting and tend to keep us awake rather than allow us to fall asleep. If you use your phone for an alarm, place it screen side down across the room so that you won’t be disturbed until the alarm goes off. A warm bath with a bit of lavender oil can also help guide you into resting mode before you go to bed.

If all of these fail, talk to your doctor about sleeping aids such as melatonin.

Pay Attention To Your Emotions

Some people struggle when dealing with their emotions. Maybe they have deep emotional wounds from the past or they simply are having a hard year. Some people will respond to negative emotions by ignoring them and engaging in self-abandoning behaviors. These people may engage in reckless behavior like alcoholism or drug addiction. Not everyone does this though! Some people begin a cycle of high spending that they can’t afford, gambling, or even engaging in dangerous sexual activities. Not only does this create a financial and/or physical health problem, these activities can continue to derail us emotionally. Rather than help us, it hurts us a bit more.

If you are struggling with some emotions, we highly recommend seeking out therapy. The stigma that surrounds therapeutic help is a hard one to bypass but rest assured you are not alone. Millions of people struggle and seek out therapy every day. Taking care of your emotional self is just as important as taking care of your physical self!

Revisit Your Coping Skills

All of us learn coping skills as children and utilize them throughout our lives. Sometimes we learn great skills and other times we learn some bad habits. No matter what you do to cope, it’s always a good idea to revisit some good skills to help us when things get rough. A few things to consider are:

·  Journaling your emotions, good and bad

·  Talk to your friends and family that you trust

·  When things get too heated or stressful, take a timeout

·  Make time to take care of you

·  Turn around your thoughts from negative to positive

While it may sound really easy, utilizing these tools when things get hard is surprisingly difficult to remember or engage with. If you need to, post some reminders in places where you will see them so that you can take that moment to refocus your behavior.

Everyone has difficult times in their lives. It doesn’t matter what it is if it feels difficult to you then it is difficult. Be gentle with yourself and do what you need to in order to get through it.

Shift Frequency © 2017 – Mental Health is Vital For Physical Health